Railway truck



Feb. 23, 1937. B w, KA ET AL 2,071,466

RAILWAY TRUCK Filed Dec. 28, 1931. 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS .yens 74Kczde/ ATTORNEY Feb. 23, 1937.

B. w. KADEL ET AL RAILWAY TRUCK 7 Filed Dec. 28, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3@6115 WKadel Dam/dd Ear-POMS Patented Feb. 23, 1937 2,071,466 RAILWAYTRUCK Byers W. Kadel, Baltimore, Md., and Donald S. Barrows, Rochester,N. Y., assignors to The Symington-Gould Corporation, a corporation ofMaryland Application December 28, 1931, Serial No. 583,530

10 Claims.

The principal object of our invention, generally considered, is theimprovement in trucks for railway rolling stock, and particularly theside frames, bolsters and spring nests thereof, whereby the bolsters areefliciently supported by the associated side frames.

Another object of our invention is to provide a nest of bolster springsinvolving helical and elliptic springs, one or more of said springsbeing disposed above the remainder, whereby some of the springs may behoused in the bolster, and the remaining spring, or springs, in the sideframe.

A further object of our invention is the provision of a nest of helicaland elliptic springs for supporting a bolster from an associated sideframe, said springs being supported on said frame with one kind ofsprings above the other and/or positioned with the major axis of onekind transverse to that of the other kind of springs.

A still further object of our invention is the provision of a bolsteradapted to be supported in the bolster openings of associated sideframes, the ends of said bolster having pockets open at the bottom fromend to end, said pockets being bounded by parallel walls spacedtransversely of said bolster and constituting guides for cooperatingwith associated elliptic springs, the

outer ends of said bolster having side walls,

spaced transversely from said spring guiding walls and adapted to engagebolster guide columns of associated frames, the Walls of the springpockets of said bolster being connected at the outer ends by websextending transversely of said bolster.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relating to the particulararrangement and construction of the various-parts will become apparentas the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings illustrating our invention, thescope whereofis defined by the appended claims:-

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of a railway vehicle or truck,particularly showing a portion of the side frame thereof with itsassociated bolster and a nest of springs.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4--4 of Figure 1,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view corresponding with Figure 2, butshowing a modification.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view corresponding to Figure 4, butshowing another modification.

Referring to the drawings in detail, like parts being designated by likereference characters, and first considering the embodiment of ourinvention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, there is shown aportion of a. railway vehicle or truck comprising side frames I, onlyone of which is illustrated, each side frame comprising a com pressionmember 2, a tension member 3, and bolster guide columns 4 spacingintermediate portions thereof and leaving a window or bolster opening 5therebetween. The tension member 3 beneath the window opening is formedhollow to provide pockets or compartments 6 which, in the presentembodiment, receive sets of helical springs 1. Each set may comprise an:outer coil 8 and an inner coil 9. The lower web of the tension member isdesirably embossed downwardly below the normal curved outline of thetension member, as indicated at ID, to provide the requisite area forseating said coils, either directly on the frame or on spring plates Theside walls! I of the tension member beneath the window opening aredesirably formed with openings l2, preferably on the transverse axes ofthe springs 1, which openings allow for inspection of said springs, aswell as lightening the frame The walls ll of the tension member aredesire ably reinforced or beaded around said openings l2, asillustrated.

Normally supported by the springs I is an associated bolster l3, saidbolster preferably having downwardly extending plugs l4 received inapertures I5 in the upper wall iii of thepocketed portion of the tensionmember 3 for engaging caps'or plates l! which, in turn, desirably reston the tops of the springs 7, thereby providing for resilientlysupporting the bolster l3. The plugs M are desirably hollow, asindicated at l8, and receive theupper end portions of cylindricalcentering devices l9, said devices being desirably supported on thefollowers I! by means of collars 20, and the lower portions received inthe inner coils 9 of the spring units 1.

To increase the capacity of the bolster springs.

additional spring means 2! is desirably employed, said means, in thepresent embodiment, comprising elliptic springs supported by or engagingthe upper wall l6 of the portion of the tension member beneath thewindow opening 5, with its center desirably disposed in or substantiallyin the longitudinal central plane of the frame, and supportinglyengaging the lower surface of the upper wall 22 of the bolster Hi. Inorder to properly receive or house the springs 2!, the bolster l3desirably has at each end a recess or pocket 23. In the presentembodiment, each recess or spring pocket 23 is defined by the upper wall22, side walls 24, a wall 25 connecting the side walls and extendingtransversely of the bolster or approximately parallel to the associatedside frame, and a depending outer wall or flange 25 serving to connectthe side walls 24.

Each spring pocket 23, by being freely open from below and bounded byparallel walls spaced transversely of the bolster or lengthwise of theside frames, provides for the free insertion or removal of the ellipticsprings 2|, the walls 26 being desirably so spaced that they constituteguides for cooperating with the elliptic springs and, specifically, thecenter and end clips 21 and 28, respectively. The web or flange 26defining the outer end of each spring pocket extends transversely of thebolster above the major axis or mid horizontal plane of the ellipticsprings, in the embodiment illustrated. The upper web or wall 22 of thebolster is desirably formed with depending lugs 29 normally lying oneither side of the spring clips 21 and the upper web IB of the tensionmember beneath the window opening being correspondingly formed withupwardly extending lugs 30, thereby providing for properly centering thesprings 2|.

Referring now to the embodiment of our invention illustrated in Figure5, there is shown a portion of a railway vehicle or truck comprisingside frames l only one of which is illustrated, each side frame having acompression member 2 a tension member or portion 3 and spaced connectingstruts, bolster guide columns or portions 4 spacing intermediateportions of said compression and tension members, and leaving a bolsteropening 5 therebetween. The construction is identical with thatdescribed in connection with the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4,inclusive, except that the resilient means or spring units 2i areshorter or smaller in vertical dimension than the spring units 2| of thepreceding embodiment, or there is initially a space between them and theupper web of the bolster I 3 so that said bolster or member I 4extending through a slot in a spring housing portion of the tensionmember 3 is initially supported by the coil or lower springs I which arein turn supported by the lower web portion Ill of the tension member.The elliptic or leaf springs 2| are, therefore, not engaged until aftera predetermined movement of the bolster or load-carrying member i3.

Referring now to the embodiment of our invention illustrated in Figure6, there is shown a portion of a railway vehicle or truck comprisingside frames l only one of which is illustrated, each frame having acompression member or portion 2* a tension member or portion 3 andspaced connecting struts 4 leaving a window ,or bolster opening 5'therebetween. The construction and arrangement is identical to thatshown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, except that the bolster I3 isinitially supported entirely on the elliptic or leaf springs,corresponding to the springs 21 of the first embodiment, but not hereillustrated, with the bolster extensions M spaced from the supportingsurfaces provided above the coil springs l which springs in turn rest onthe lower web portion ill of the tension member 3 Thus the coil springs1 do not function until after a predetermined movement of the bolster orload-carrying member I3, or until the plug or extension M of the bolstercomes into engagement with the tops of the coil spring means or cap llthereof.

From the foregoing disclosure, it will be seen that we have provided arailway vehicle or truck involving side frames, only one of which isshown, each receiving an end of an associated bolster in window openingsthereof, each end of the bolster being supported by elliptic and helicalsprings acting simultaneously or in parallel. Although the presentembodiment shows the elliptic spring means as comprising full ellipticsprings, each consisting of a pair of semi-elliptic springs, it will beunderstood that we do not wish to be limited to the exact showing, asthe mere omission of'a part of the nest of springs would not affect thecombination as defined in the appended claims. The bolster has asuitable pocket at each end for receiving one or more springs bearingdirectly upon the elevated upper web portion of the tension memberbeneath the window opening. The lower spring or springs are actuated bya plug or plugs depending from the bolster, and the actuation of thehelical and elliptic springs may be simultaneous unless it is desired tocompress one or the other type of spring a predetermined amount beforesimultaneous action begins.

Although we have described a preferred embodiment of our invention, itwill be understood that modifications may be mad-e within the spirit andscope of the appended claims, the terms we have employed being used asthose of description and not of limitation.

We claim:-

1. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a side frame formed withcompression and tension members spaced at intermediate portions by guidecolumns, leaving a bolster opening therebetween, spring means seated onsaid tension member, and a bolster supported by said spring means, saidbolster being provided at its end with a pocket for receiving saidspring means, said pocket being opened below from end to end and boundedby parallel walls spaced longitudinally of the side frame andconstituting guides for the lowermost element of said spring means.

2. In a railway truck, a bolster comprising top and side walls andformed at its outer ends with spaced walls rigid therewith andpositioned between said side walls, parallel to the bolster longitudinalaxis, and elliptic springs guided between said spaced walls.

3. In a railway vehicle, the combination of a side frame having tensionand compression members, spaced struts integrally connecting saidtension and compression members and forming a window, said tensionmember forming a spring housing enclosing seats disposed longitudinallyof the frame and with their centers spaced apart a distance greater thanthat between the surfaces of said struts nearest to one another, saidtension member carrying a seat intermediate and above said spaced seats,and a load-carrying member supported on said side frame by coil springssupported on said spaced seats, and leaf tion with said window, coilsprings on said seats,

and a load-carrying member supported on leaf springs in said window andprovided with members extending through slots and being arranged toengage said coil springs only after a predetermined movement of saidload-carrying member.

5. In a railway vehicle, in combination, tension and compressionmembers, spaced integral connecting columns forming a window with saidtension and compression members, said tension member having a springhousing'disposed below said window, said housing having spaced seatstherein and being slotted for'communication with said window, coilsprings on said seats, a load-carrying member extending into said windowand having portions extending through said slots and in engagement withsaid coil springs, and leaf springs in said window adapted to be engagedby said load-carrying member only after a predeter-' mined movementthereof.

6. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a side frame formed withcompression and tension members spaced at intermediate portions by guidecolumns, leaving a bolster openingtherebetween, an elliptic springcomprising two sets of leaves held tc ether by bands, with the lowerband seated on said tension member, and a bolster supported by saidelliptic spring, said bolster being provided at its end with a pocketdefined by an upper wall directly engaging said upper band and receivingsaid elliptic spring, said pocket opening downwardly from end toend andbounded by parallel walls depending from said upper wall, spacedlongitudinally of the side frame, and constituting guides for the lowerband of said elliptic spring.

7. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a side frame formed withcompression and tension members spaced at intermediate portions by guidecolumns, leaving a bolster opening therebetween, an elliptic springcomprising two sets of leaves held together by bands, with the lowerband seated on said tension member, a bolster supported by said ellipticspring, said bolster being provided at its end with a pocket Geflned byan upper wall directly engaging said upper band and receiving saidelliptic spring, said pocket opening downwardly from end to end andbounded by parallel walls depending from said upper wall, spacedlongitudinally of the side frame, and constituting guides for the lowerband of said elliptic spring. and helical springs supported on saidtension member beneath the portion on which the elliptic spring seats,said bolster having integral portions in supporting engagement with saidhelical I p gs.

8. In a railway vehicle, a pair of side frames,

at bolster with its ends received therein, said bolster comprising a topwall, spaced walls rigid therewith, depending therefrom, and disposedgenerally parallel to, and spaced substantially equal distances from,the longitudinal axis of said bolster, and leaf spring meanssubstantially housed and guided between said spaced depending walls andcomprising band means holding portions of said leaf spring means, saidbolster having an abutment portion engaging said band means and definedby ribs spaced longitudinally of said bolster, movement of said bandmeans transversely of said bolster being limited by said dependingwalls.

9. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a side frame formed withcompression and tension members spaced at intermediate portions by guidecolumns, leaving a bolster opening therebetween, a bolster received insaid opening, a nest of coil springs supported by said tension memberand acting to support; said bolster, and leaf springs,

held together by band means, partially housed in said bolster, extendinglongitudinally thereof, and acting on said tension member through anabutment disposed above the plane of support of said coil springs bysaid tension member, the upper wall of said bolster having portionsdepending therefrom to center the upper portion of the band means ofsaid leaf springs, and the longitudinal central plane of said leafsprings dividing the nest of coil springs into two equal parts.

In a railway vehicle, in combination with a side frame formed withcompression and tension members, spaced struts integrallyconnecting saidmembers and forming a window, said tension member being provided withspring seat portions spaced longitudinally of the frame and positionedon opposite sides of the longitudinal central plane of said bolster,said tension member carrying a spring seat intermediate and above saidspaced spring seat portions, and said bolster supported on said frame byleaf springs, partially housed in an end portion thereof, engaging saidupper intermediate spring seat and coil springs supported on said spacedseat portions.

BYERS W. KADEL. DONALD S. BARROWS.

